– as first flight arrives at CJIA, tourism-related businesses expected to return to life

By Jared Liddell

AN Eastern Airlines flight arrived at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) at 11:45 hrs on Tuesday with a total of 44 passengers on board, comprising Guyanese eager to return home, and foreigners visiting for business and leisure.
The passengers were welcomed by the Prime Minister, Brigadier (ret’d), Mark Phillips and Public Works Minister, Juan Edghill. The airport was closed on March 18 of this year, and Eastern’s return flight last evening was expected to have on board 216 passengers.

The Guyana Chronicle spoke to some of the passengers shortly after they arrived, and among them was PJ Prempeh, who was extremely excited to have gotten a flight to return to Guyana. Prempeh is an American citizen who recently got married to a Guyanese, and has not been able to see his wife since February.

“It feels good to be here; I’m excited. I haven’t seen my wife since February of this year; that’s almost seven months. I had gotten a ticket from American Airlines a few months back, and the flights kept cancelling, so when I heard that we would be able to come back now, I was happy, because I’ll get to see my wife,” Prempeh said.
He is appreciative of the government’s decision to reopen the airports, as it gives many persons like him the opportunity to reconnect with their loved ones. According to Prempeh, the flight was a good one, and overall, the systems that have been put in place to minimise the spread of COVID-19 at the airport are adequate.
Dexter Armstrong, another passenger, also spoke well of the safety measures at the CJIA.

“So far, I like the procedure that they have here, and I hope that they can keep it up. I think the move to reopen the airports is positive, and once they put everything in place in terms of safety against COVID, I see that travel can return to normal,” Armstrong said.

He related that he did not experience any hassle getting on the flight and coming through the airport, and was happy that he will be reuniting with friends and family.
The reopening of the airports here has not only afforded some persons the opportunity of reconnecting with their families and friends, but also allowed others to come to savour the many treasures Guyana has to offer, and at the same provide relief to those businesses that were put out of commission due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

SIGNIFICANT DECLINE

Public Works Minister, Bishop Juan Edghill has said that globally, passenger travel by air has shrunk between 59 and 62 per cent since 2019, since the advent of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

This decline in airline travel, he said, has resulted in an estimated loss of some $104B in global business revenue in 2020.
“The closure of airports has adversely affected aviation operation,” Minister Edghill said, adding: “Like many other businesses that have been affected, civil aviation has suffered tremendously, resulting in closures, bankruptcy, and loss of business. Through Budget 2020, we would have even had to lend support to the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), because of loss of revenue. The CJIA has experienced significant loss in revenue as well, but they are managing gracefully.”

He said that the government cannot sit back and allow the onslaught of COVID-19 to continue, and it was with this thinking in mind that the decision was taken to reopen our airports to commercial flights, and implement and enforce strict COVID-19 prevention systems. Noting that the reopening of the airports on Monday, October 12, 2020 is vital to allow persons the opportunity to earn and sustain themselves and their families, Minister Edghill sees it as “a bold and crucial step” towards bringing some sort of normalcy to the livelihoods of the country’s economy, while putting systems in place to ensure the safety of all.
And with aviation being the critical and an essential service that it is, he said that apart from allowing Guyanese to return home, the reopening of the airports also allows for specialists in areas such as construction to come to Guyana.
Just recently, the government invited Expressions of Interest for the construction of a new bridge across the Demerara River.

GOOD FOR BUSINESS
The reopening of the airports will inject new life into business travel and commerce and has been welcomed by many business owners who have been feeling the squeeze due to the restrictions brought about by COVID-19.
The hospitality sector, Minister Edghill said, will benefit tremendously from this reopening, as hotels and restaurants will once again be able to see customers and consumers having access to their facilities.

The minister lauded the COVID-19 safety measures being implemented at the CJIA.
Some 13 out of the 44 passengers who arrived on Tuesday had done their PCR tests more than 72 hours before ‘touch-down’. Now that the airport has been reopened, the minister disclosed that WestJet airlines will be coming to Guyana on October 15 from Canada, and will be leaving with passengers to Canada the next day. The demand for this type of flight is so high, Minister Edghill said, that the flight out of Guyana has already been booked to capacity.